Two guys are seated at a table having lunch in a Mooresville , North Carolina diner.
A patron sitting at a nearby lunch counter overhears their conversation , as one is saying , "she's gotta be the dumbest white woman I know" ... which prompts the guy at the counter to say to another , "they must be talking about Teresa Earnhardt".

On May 10 , 2007 , Dale Earnhardt , Jr. announced he would be leaving D.E.I. at season's end.
On that same day , Tony Stewart would say , "DEI without Dale , Jr. is just a museum !".
Just over two months later on July 25th , Teresa would announce the ill-fated merger of Ginn Racing with DEI that would see the termination of the #13 and 14 teams and the layoff of some 125 people. The remaining teams in the merger would all move to the former Ginn 80,000 square foot shop.

DEI was now the museum that Tony Stewart spoke of only 2 months prior ! This is a 240,000 square foot complex over more than 14 acres. What's now remaining of DEI as a race team is under the umbrella of Ganassi in yet another location again.

In January '07 and while the Teresa / Dale Jr. split was taking form , Teresa was able to sign the grandson of Dale Sr. , Jeffrey Earnhardt ( and son of Kerry ) to what was characterized as a "long term driving contract". Teresa also hired Kerry to oversee his son's career. Teresa would announce the development of the 17 year old as a competitor in selected Late Model races and the Camping World East series in 2007. Jeffrey was promised a move to Nationwide in '08 and '09.

To the surprise of many , this effort would not come from the soon to be vacant spaces of Dale Sr's "Garage Mahal".
For the '07 season , Teresa determined that she would farm out Jeffrey to the Andy Santerre race team for those 13 Camping World East races. More of the same for '08 with a number of car owners for Late Model , CW-East and Dirt Modifieds and Late Model. Teresa would not pursue Nationwide with Jeffrey in 2008. Teresa replaced Jeffrey in the final two East events with Aric Almirola and Ryan Truex and refused a team explanation for the move , in-turn prompting much speculation.

For 2009 , Teresa has sent Kerry and Jeffrey off to Rick Ware Racing where Jeffrey will make his Nationwide Series debut at Dover Downs Delaware on May 30th , the first of only 8 races planned to preserve his rookie status for 2010.

Jeffrey will turn 20 in June and Teresa has essentially already thrown away 2 valuable years in Jeffrey's development for the future. Some believe she'll completely squash this young man's career. In a very baffling course of events , Teresa is not making the investment in a commodity that would again return millions like Jr. before him. On the Earnhardt name alone , the potential merchandising value to be realized is likely in the hundreds of millions over the span of a normal career.

This story will develop more throughout the year and as those who know Jeffrey keep their fingers crossed for a positive outcome.

I'm not one to judge... or bash for that matter. But we (the message board) have people that post "Photos of the Day" and stuff like that, which is great and I look forward to them but I just can't keep to myself on this one... It seems to me that your threads, most recently anyway, have been really out of nowhere... So I guess I just have a question for you...

Is your goal on the message board to add "The Random - Straight out of left field Story of the Day"?

The past few times I've viewed your posts I found myself saying "Wow, where'd that come from?" :confused:

I guess it's really not that big of a deal, and I'm not a board-nazi... just wondering...

...and I really wanted to give this guy a test run: :Ouch

my thoughts exactly 82. must be a google jockey. and this time for napcar news. not trying to start s..t
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And why do we care at all?

It's her money...she decides how it gets spent, not us....

Her stepson allowed his minor child to align his future with her and DEI, so what does that make him, ecpecially in light of what happened to his brother?.....

And most NASCAR teams run on OPM...other people's money(sponsors); give the lack of sponsors at DEI and other NASCAR teams, why does it surprise anyone that any team shuts down. See Ginn, Yates, et. al.....

Sometimes when you are forced to pusue someone elses vision in life; it's hard to do. I don't know her or anything about her, but she is basically trying to live a life that someone envisioned for the two of them. Maybe her biggest crime is trying to continue on with a life that she really isn't even a part of anymore.

There is no fault or blame to be had as it is her life and her property and can do with it what she wishes. It's very possible that she is very happy with how she is living and her business decisions. If she is then good for her. We should all be so lucky.

I don't wish any ill will on that entire family. I don't think she has the business background to understand how to make the right decisions in that business. I really have a hard time feeling bad for people born into that world. For every Jeffrey Earnhardt there is a 20 year old racing sprints, karts, midgets, late models, dirt late models, modifieds that deserves a shot. But they all don't have that last name. If Austin and Ty Dillon, had their grandfathers last name everyone would know who they were. There father does seem to have them on a better path, than Kerry has Jeffrey on.

What about Boston Reid, Josh Wise, JJ Yeley, Tracy Hines, Bryan Clauson and the countless others who have went to NC and came back? Shouldn't a message board about Indiana and open wheel racing care more about these guys than stock cars in North Carolina? Yes I do know that not all of these drivers were born in Indiana.

Not to hijack this thread, but do any of the tracks in Indiana have a deal like the beer hill gang at Williams Grove? Supporting an up and coming driver?

The way I look at it - it sure beats the constant 'picture of the day', 'favorite driver' plugs, and discussion of what the local dirt looks like. It is good racing content that has roots and relevance much deeper than how rich people spend money. Look at some of our favorite development drivers who began their young careers as open wheel phenoms and see how they have been screwed over by the lack of sponsorship and poor business decisions - no driver, even the ones who carry the famous names, are impervious to the BS thats going on right now.

Sure its nascar related, and I'm among a large contingent who prefers to read about openwheel racing. But when a large percentage of the fields we all follow is made up of Nascar hopefuls (because thats where everyone would like to be), then stuff like this and other stories similiar make sense.

I enjoy this site and have been semi-active with it since Usacfans.com - but its never really been about openwheel racing like the domain eludes to, its all about USAC style racing. Unfortunately, regardless of relevance, the second someone talks about winged sprints (open wheel), F1 (open wheel), or Nascar (linked via progression) people seem to turn to the defensive.

I see your point, but how often do "winged sprints (open wheel)" and "F1 (open wheel)" race in Indiana compared to "USAC style racing"?

While the drivers who have not made it in nascar tend to stand out more than in the collective mind than the ones who have not made it open wheel racing, I think that Jan Opperman Jr. and Sheldon Kinser Jr. should be pointed out as examples of "name" not necessarily being the key to success. I say this not because these guys lacked talent or made bad business decisions, but to point out that it's a different world the when their fathers were getting started.

Be careful what you say about the "Wicked Witch of The South". She might sic her Flying Monkeys on you!